This video is meant to show in under 2 minutes how to change an ostomy bag and the speed of the video has been changed to allow that. The timer in the corner shows the actual time of the bag change, which was just under 5 minutes. Please note that I have had an ostomy for 6 years and that may not be a realistic time for someone just starting out. There are some great videos out there that go into a lot of detail on how to change the bag and going step-by-step, but some of us may not have the time (or patience!) to sit through a 10-20 minute tutorial. The hope here is simply to provide a quick guide for getting started.
The process of changing a bag will vary depending on the type of bag you use (such as a one-piece or a two-piece that snaps together or a pre-cut flange) and the types of accessories you like. The accessories shown here are the ones that I have found that work well for me, but they are not necessary and there are plenty of other options out there that may fit better with what you need.
I do not recommend specific products since I believe that different products work for different people and situations, but for your reference, these are the products used in the video:
- Coloplast SenSura Mio 2-piece flex flange and pouch
- Hollister Adapt skin barrier paste
- ConvaTec AllKare protective barrier wipes
17 Comments
What type of wipes do you use? And what did you apply to the wafer before putting it on?
February 13, 2018 at 7:53 pmThank you
Dave, do you mean the barrier wipe? I listed the products I used below the video. That wipe is AllKare barrier wipe and what I put on the wafer is the Adapt skin barrier paste. If you mean the wet wipes, those particular wipes are Cottonelle, but I have 2 kids in diapers so I just use whatever I have on hand.
February 13, 2018 at 11:01 pmThank you so much for the video and the information
February 13, 2018 at 11:29 pmI worry that the wipes would leave a film on the skin and the barrier wouldn’t stay on the skin well
February 14, 2018 at 9:14 pmThat has not been an issue for me, especially when making sure to dry the skin.
February 14, 2018 at 9:49 pmWhat brand of wipes do you use ?i want to give them a try.
February 15, 2018 at 8:25 amConvaTec AllKare protective barrier wipes
February 15, 2018 at 3:17 pmThanks so much Stephanie!! Do u find the wipes leave behind a residue or does that come off when u use the second wipe? Also I use medical adhesive spray, can I warm up the wafer after I put that on or should I warm up the wafer and then put the adhesive on??
February 14, 2018 at 5:36 pmSorry for all the questions?? I’m new to all this.
Thanks!!
Sandy
Never apologize for questions 😊 so the wet wipes don’t leave any residue. The barrier wipes do, but that is what they are intended to do. I don’t personally use the adhesive spray but I don’t see any reason why you can’t warm it up. I usually do the warm up right before putting it on. It really loosens up the wafer and helps it get a good stick. I would experiment and see how it works!
February 14, 2018 at 7:29 pmHello Stephanie, thank you for sharing all these informations with us. I have a question with regards to the bags you use. What is the advantage of the adhesive coupling? Can you swith bags easily or do you have to take off the whole appliance at once? Do the wafers last as long as the standard two pieces?
February 15, 2018 at 12:36 pmSarah, it’s a personal preference. The advantage to me is that it’s got the flexibility of a one-piece with the ease of applying of a two-piece. I prefer that to the rigid nature of the standard two-piece. You technically can remove the bag, but I’ve only done that a couple of times. It’s not usually worth it, in my experience. It seems to last the same time as any other bag.
February 15, 2018 at 3:14 pmThank you for your answer! I’m still rather new to all this so I have not yet tried the adhesive coupling style bags. Right after surgery I was on Hollister, now I’m trying the Coloplast Sensura (the old ones). I have not yet tried the Mio bags… What’s your experience with these?
February 16, 2018 at 10:37 amHow did you remove the excess glue on your skin? I have to use adhesive remover.
February 16, 2018 at 12:59 pmJanet, I do have adhesive remover wipes that I’ll use on occasion, but it’s not something I use every time. I would imagine that’s something that may be necessary for some but not for everyone.
February 17, 2018 at 8:39 amWeirdly I use nearly all the same products as you, but I don’t use wet wipes (just a wet washcloth). I don’t know how you remove your old barrier so quickly with no adhesive remover spray or anything though! My whole change routine takes about 15-20 minutes from start to finish (I get a lot of time out of each barrier though, so I don’t mind the slowness), and a huge chunk of that time is spent just trying to get the barrier off of my skin – and you just ripped it off haha!
April 4, 2018 at 8:20 pmYou know, I’ve gotten a couple of similar comments since doing this and I didn’t even realize that was a thing for some people. I do use adhesive remover on occasion, but just to clean up some of the residue around the edges once it comes off. I’m guessing it’s just dependent on skin type or something..?
April 4, 2018 at 9:46 pmAfter 38 years with a convatec two-piece system, it only takes me about three minutes to change the appliance. I do it every other day first thing in the morning…before breakfast so things are slow. To clean up around the stoma, I just use a 3 X 3 gauze pad. I run it under warm water to help clean up.
May 7, 2018 at 7:20 pmI don’t love my ileostomy either Stephanie, but I do like being healthy. 🙂 David